On the aluminum cap atop the Washington Monument in Washington, DC are two words: Laus Deo. No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument have no idea they are even there and ...

The reference is an engraving of "Laus Deo," which is Latin for "Praise be to God," on the east side of the 100-ounce aluminum cap atop of the Washington Monument.

In 1884, aluminum was $1 per ounce, or about the same price as silver, and equal to the wage a laborer working on the monument got for one of his 10+ hour workdays.

The aluminum cap aimed to draw lightning that was then channeled through the center of the monument and into the ground. ... The Washington Monument’s tough marble wouldn’t ever catch fire, ...

The iconic Washington Monument is celebrating its 132nd birthday today. ... 1884, an aluminum cap, used as a lighting-protection, device was placed on top. In February 1885, ...

From indignation over a bare-chested statue of Washington to a gift from the pope tossed in the Potomac, here are 10 interesting facts about the newly reopened Washington Monument.

Just stick something to the top of the Washington Monument. Remove the aluminum cap and add a single stack of bricks, 31 feet, 8 inches tall, sticking up like a masonry antenna.

The best guess for that is battering of the Washington Monument’s aluminum tip. ... In 1984, the Frishmuth foundry, which made the original casting, produced a replica of the cap.

On Dec. 6, 1884, in a ceremony that lasted 15 minutes, the aluminum capstone was placed atop the Washington Monument. A cannon fired to celebrate the completion of the structure, which had been ...

On December 6, 1884—after nearly 36 years of construction—workers placed the 100-ounce aluminum cap atop the Washington Monument.Although it now may seem like strange choice for the pièce de ...